THE FESTIVAL 2017 MEDIA GUIDE

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The much-anticipated four days at Cheltenham Racecourse each March see the best horses from Britain and Ireland, plus overseas challengers, battle for glory in 28 races. The five main championship contests, the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Stan James Champion Hurdle, the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, the Sun Bets Stayers’ Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase obviously attract most interest but victory in any race at The Festival is much sought after and fiercely contested. would not have flocked to the area. They did and brought their sporting diversions, including racing. There had been a settlement at Cheltenham in Saxon times, with a village of 200 souls centred on St Mary’s Church recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086. It grew slowly; by 1226 a weekly market and annual fair were granted by Henry III, in 1578 a grammar school was founded, and by the 1700s had become a small-scale centre for malting and tannery, with a population of around 1,500. The Festival came into being gradually and the inaugural running is generally felt to have happened in 1911, with the National Hunt Chase the main attraction, but 1923 is also a key date as the meeting was run over three days, rather than two, for the first time. The Cheltenham Gold Cup was introduced in 1924, the Champion Hurdle in 1927 and the Champion Chase in 1959. The Festival stretched from three days to four in 2005. But it was all change in 1716, when the efficacy of the local waters was first realised. For the aristocratic fashionistas of the time, Cheltenham became the place to visit and the seal was set on the town’s reputation with the visit of George III during the summer of 1788, five years after the end of the American War of Independence. THE FESTIVAL THE FESTIVAL IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF JUMP RACING ANYWHERE AND ATTRACTS WORLDWIDE INTEREST. Champion Day, Ladies Day, St Patrick’s Thursday and Gold Cup Day now attract over 260,000 racegoers. The Festival as a name is a registered trademark and has been since October, 1994. But Cheltenham Racecourse, which sits in a natural amphitheatre overlooked by the highest point of the Cotswold Hills in Cleeve Hill, may not have existed but for an accident of geology. For without the limestones, clays and mudstones laid down in Gloucestershire during the Jurassic period more than 150 million years ago, there would have been no mineral springs in the shadow of Cleeve Hill. And without the springs, and their perceived health-giving properties, the 18th century’s wealthy and fashionable By the mid-1800s the sleepy rural backwater had become, thanks to Royal patronage, an elegant Regency spa resort with a population of 35,000. The mad Hanoverian may have lost the American colonies, but indirectly he gave an unpayable debt to racing. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, steeplechasing as an organised sport was in its infancy, very much the poor – and rather despised - relation of what was regarded as the ‘real thing’, hunting. The first racing in the Cheltenham area - an informal meeting at Nottingham Hill near Woodmancote and above Gotherington in 1815, and then regular fixtures high on Cleeve Hill – was on the Flat. But it was a start, the first steps on a journey across three centuries. 8
BETBRIGHT PRESTBURY CUP BRITAIN VERSUS IRELAND AT THE FESTIVAL Cheltenham Media Guide 2017 The Festival at Cheltenham has always seen friendly rivalry between Britain and Ireland and this was formalised with the introduction of the Prestbury Cup at The Festival in 2014. IRISH-TRAINED SUCCESSES AT THE FESTIVAL 2016 15 i (28 races) 2015 13 (27 races) 2014 12 (27 races) 2013 14 (27 races) 2012 5 (27 races) 2011 13 (27 races) 2010 7 (26 races) 2009 9 (26 races) 2008 7 (25 races) 2007 5 (24 races) 2006 10 (24 races) 2005 9 (24 races) 2004 4 (20 races) 2003 6 (20 races) 2002 5 (20 races) 2001 cancelled 2000 3 (20 races) 1999 5 (20 races) 1998 4 (20 races) 1997 3 (20 races) 1996 7 (20 races) 1995 4 (20 races) 1994 3 (20 races) 1993 6 (20 races) 1992 2 (19 races) 1991 2 (18 races) 1990 2 (18 races) 1989 0 (18 races) 1988 1 (18 races) 1987 1 (18 races) 1986 4 (18 races) 1985 2 (18 races) 1984 4 (18 races) 1983 5 (18 races) 1982 6 (18 races) 1981 3 (18 races) 1980 4 (18 races) 1979 5 (18 races) 1978 6 ii (12 races) 1977 7 (18 races) 1976 5 (18 races) 1975 5 iii (13 races) Betting group BetBright have sponsored the Prestbury Cup since 2015 and continue their backing in 2017. Captains were introduced in 2016, when former Jump jockey Choc Thornton represented Britain and TV personality and racehorse owner Hector Ó hEochagáin represented Ireland. Phil Tufnell, the former cricketer, takes over from Thornton in 2017, while Hector Ó hEochagáin continues in his role. The battle for the BetBright Prestbury Cup includes all 28 races at The Festival. The first nation to 15 succeeds, with the trainers and jockeys from the winning country presented with the BetBright Prestbury Cup which is sealed with some hallowed Cheltenham turf. There was a dramatic ending to the competition in 2016, the first time 28 i. New record. Prior to The Festival’s extension to four days in 2005, the previous record was eight wins in 1958 (when 18 races were run). ii. In 1978, the third day of The Festival was abandoned due to snow. The Triumph Hurdle and Gold Cup were subsequently run in April. iii. In 1975, waterlogging caused several races to be lost. Ian Renton, Paul Nicholls and Brian Farrell (Marketing Director of BetBright) with the Prestbury Cup races were run at The Festival, with the drama going down to the last race, the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual won by British-trained Solar Impulse from Ireland’s Dandridge, thus ensuring a 14-14 dead-heat at the time. However, a subsequent enquiry meant that Britain’s Any Currency was disqualified from the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase and Ireland’s Josies Orders awarded the victory, making the final score 15-13 in favour of Ireland. The number of Irish winners was a new record at The Festival. The previous highest was 14 Irish successes in 2013, when there were 27 races at The Festival and Ireland overcame Britain for the first time. There are strong entries from both sides of the Irish Sea ahead of The Festival in 2017 and another thrilling competition is set to occur, with both countries out to be named champion at the end of racing on Gold Cup Day, Friday, March 17. 9
Page 1 and 2: THE FESTIVAL 2017 MEDIA GUIDE
Page 3 and 4: WELCOME The build-up to this year
Page 5 and 6: A general view of the Vestey Bar at
Page 7: BRITISH RACING HAS A DUTY OF CARE T
Page 11 and 12: THE MCCOYS RECOGNISING JUMP RACING
Page 13 and 14: Cheltenham Media Guide 2017 mile co
Page 15 and 16: JON RICHARDSON THE OLD MAN 7th OCTO
Page 17 and 18: ARKLE FACTS Form figures; 341104-11
Page 19 and 20: Cheltenham Media Guide 2017 1997 A
Page 21 and 22: INCREDIBLE UNMISSABLE £10 FREE NO
Page 23 and 24: laying plans for the 12 months ahea
Page 25 and 26: THE FESTIVAL IN FIGURES Cheltenham
Page 27 and 28: Cheltenham Media Guide 2017 and tur
Page 29 and 30: CALL US FOR CHELTENHAM BETTING NEWS
Page 31 and 32: Cheltenham Media Guide 2017 TIMICO
Page 33 and 34: Queen’s Prize at Kempton Park and
Page 35 and 36: Eborneezer (1961) and trained Bula
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Page 39 and 40: THE FIRST RACE AT THE CHELTENHAM FE
Page 41 and 42: The only horse since to have won th
Page 43 and 44: CHELTENHAM & SOUTH WEST SYNDICATE S
Page 45 and 46: ecognised start of the race that is
Page 47 and 48: WE ’ RE NOT HORSING AROUND PROUD
Page 49 and 50: short history, with three wins apie
Page 51 and 52: LEADING JOCKEYS AT THE FESTIVAL Rub
Page 53 and 54: William Alexander Baring Bingham, w
Page 55 and 56: at Cheltenham for 26 years altogeth
Page 57 and 58: of supporting races. The first Coun
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Bookmakers in front of the See You
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THE FESTIVAL 2017 MEDIA GUIDE

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